


What About a Thursday?

by PFDiva



Category: Friends at the Table (Podcast)
Genre: M/M, Post-Miracle, basically this is in response to last week's episode, fucking fiiiiiiiiight me, post-second-miracle too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2019-05-16 20:36:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14818430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PFDiva/pseuds/PFDiva
Summary: Morning's Observation didn't really meet Grand Magnificent before the Miracle, and now that he has met the man, he rather likes what he sees.





	What About a Thursday?

A group of delivery folks came into The Brink on a Thursday. Morning's Observation was on shift and gave them enough time to grab seats before depositing a stack of menus on the table and taking drink orders.

Morning's Observation always liked delivery folks. They ordered their food, tipped well, and could be counted on to eject anyone getting too rowdy.

This group had a new person they were heartily ribbing. The new person wasn't exactly taking it well, but they also weren't starting a fight, so they were probably fine. Observation couldn't shake the impression that the person looked familiar. They were attractive, for sure.

Observation gave the person a smile and a friendly nudge when he brought the obligatory round of coffee, "These guys aren't bothering you, are they?"

Observation's words caused a ripple of laughter and the person looked up, then did a double take.

"Morning's Observation?"

The voice was what made the faintly familiar features snap into place.

"Grand Magnificent?" He looked completely different. Like he'd been stripped of everything he was before and stuffed into a new life. He had a hat. It looked good on him, Observation was a little stunned to realize.

Someone--Yuga Shade--nudged Observation and laughed, "You know this yahoo?"

That startled Observation back into his on-the-job mindset and he grinned, "Oh, you know me--meeting all kinds of people doing what I do. Now, I already know what I'm getting _you_ , Yuga. What's everybody else having?"

Everyone, including Magnificent, ordered. Observation could feel the other man's eyes on him and he watched Magnificent a little more closely than was warranted, but nothing more happened. The group ate, tipped well, and eventually left. They came back sometime the next week and the one after, because that's what delivery folks did, and Magnificent came with them.

Observation had seen Magnificent maybe three or four times before they had the chance to have the conversation they'd both been avoiding.

It was a late night with an empty diner. Officially Thursday, though Observation refused to count it until he'd been to sleep. Observation was just getting off shift as Magnificent came in, alone for once.

"Heading out?" Magnificent asked.

Observation shrugged, "That was the plan. My shift's over."

"Mine, too. Got a couple hours downtime. Can I buy you a cup of coffee?"

"Does it come with dinner, because man I am _starving_ ," Observation said

"Oh my god, this was a mistake."

"Chill out, it was a joke."

"Was it?" asked Magnificent. "Was it, really?"

"Half a joke. I haven't had dinner yet."

"I was gonna offer to buy you dinner because I'm going to be eating and that's _rude_ to just eat in front of someone--"

"Then what's even the problem--"

"--most ungrateful person I swear, _for no good reason._ "

Observation missed part of that sentence. He and Magnificent had been talking over each other and now it was just funny. He laughed. Magnificent squinted in annoyance, then huffed.

"You coming or what?"

"Yeah, yeah. Here I come."

Observation followed Magnificent to one of the back booths, slouching into the seat across from the former (?) mech designer. He remembered this guy as pretentious and arrogant. He still kind of was, but less so. It was hard to explain, but it probably started with Magnificent not complaining about Observation's food order on his tab.

"So, it's been a bit, huh?" Magnificent said.

"Yeah. Been keeping busy. You?"

"Yeah. Transport. Pays the bills."

Observation nodded. Then, "Didn't think transport would be up your alley."

Magnificent shrugged, "You could say I've changed recently."

"Yeah, I could. S'working for you, though."

Magnificent just smiled a little instead of preening like Observation expected, "You think?"

"I think if I hadn't recognized you, I definitely would have slipped you my number." Now Magnificent looked smug.

"And since you did recognize me?"

"Figured I'd give you your space. Let you come to me."

Magnificent was quiet for a long time.

"Thanks."

The food came then, and they spent the rest of the meal catching up on their respective lives. Unfortunately, Magnificent hadn't been exaggerating about only having a few hours, and too soon, he had to leave.

Magnificent couldn't visit The Brink every day, or even every other day, so he and Observation messaged back and forth when Magnificent was away. Observation was on shift the next time Magnificent came through, so they couldn't chat much, but it was enough to make the Thursday memorable.

The first time Magnificent brought a couple dozen pounds of exotic meat was on a Monday, and Observation wanted to kiss the man for it. The second time it happened, he did. On both occasions, Observation got Gray and Demani to pay for it, on account of Magnificent brought it because Observation wanted to feed their customers different and better meals.

Soon, Observation developed a reputation for being the guy who knew a guy. People paid him to pay Magnificent, and they both got to pocket a little extra money. It started getting to the point that Observation could take a night off whenever Magnificent came around without worrying about his finances. For a while, it was good.

Then some asshole from Magnificent's past came to try and put the squeeze on him. Didn't work, but the bastard tried. An old friend rolled up with an offer for Magnificent and Observation didn't see him for a while.

The next time Observation saw Magnificent, he and his pals needed Observation to get onto Skein. Observation said yes, of course. They needed him. Grand Magnificent needed him.

In the course of two days, everything went to shit so magnificently that Observation didn't even know which way to scream. At Tender was definitely an option he took advantage of, not that it was as much her fault as it felt like. (It was a lot her fault, though.)

By the end of things, Observation had endured torture and _killed_ for Magnificent. He'd gotten the man onto a ship and flown it away. It was some kind of miracle that Magnificent hadn't lost an arm. His mech was sure as fuck ruined. But it didn't matter, not really. None of it did anymore.

Observation helped Magnificent to his half of the curtained-off room on The World Without End, pouring the man into a bottom bunk before claiming one for himself. It was so much. Too much. He should have just been happy with what he had. He shouldn't have tried to impress Magnificent and Tender. Magnificent would be dead or worse without him, but still.

It was all just too much.


End file.
